DJMAC
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Nintendo sparked off the motion gaming craze in 2006 when it released the Wii ($199.99, 3 stars), a revolutionary game console that used a motion-sensing wand instead of a conventional controller. Despite massive sales and broad media attention, Nintendo hasn't released a significant update in a while, while Microsoft and Sony have each released technically superior motion gaming options, the Kinect for Xbox 360 ($149.99, 4 stars) and the Sony Playstation Move ($99.99, 4 stars). While the Wii was ahead of the game four years ago, its imprecise sensors have limited its usefulness. The Wii Remote Plus aims to fix that, by incorporating technology (previously available only as an extra dongle) seamlessly into the shell of the standard Wii Remote.
The Wii remote uses only an accelerometer to detect motion. Other functions, like using the remote as a pointer, rely on an infrared sensor that tracks the position of a "sensor bar" placed above or below the TV. Those two sensors are the only way the Wii remote can track movement. Meanwhile, the PlayStation Move uses an accelerometer, a gyroscope, a magnet sensor, and the PlayStation Eye camera to track movement much more accurately. Similarly, the Kinect for Xbox 360 uses a depth-sensing camera that maps out the position of your body and tracks it visually, in three-dimensional space.
Last year, Nintendo sought to improve the Wii's controls with the Wii MotionPlus, an accessory for the remote that used a more precise and sensitive gyroscope to supplement the remote's accelerometer. It indeed helped the Wii, and made games like Wii Sports Resort and Red Steel 2, which require greater accuracy for activities like swordfighting, far more usable. Useful as it was, Wii MotionPlus remained a clunky block you had to connect to the remote, and an extra expense. Nyko, a Wii accessories manufacturer, incorporated MotionPlus technology into its $39.99 Wand+ controller, but Nintendo itself has kept the two devices separate—until the Wii Remote Plus.
The Wii Remote Plus builds the MotionPlus sensors directly into the body of the remote. Besides the small text "Wii MotionPlus INSIDE" just under the Wii logo and connection lights, though, the remote is identical to the original Wii Remote. It measures the same 1.3 by 1.5 by 5.8 inches (HWD) and weighs the same 3 ounces as the original remote. The layout is identical to the original Wii Remote; the top face of the remote holds the A, 1, 2, plus, minus, and home buttons and direction pad, while the underside holds the B trigger and the battery door. The only difference is the addition of the new, more accurate sensors.
Unless your game requires or is enhanced by MotionPlus (which isn't a high percentage), the Wii Remote Plus even plays identical to a plain Wii remote. The MotionPlus-enabled games really do offer a whole different level of control when using the Wii Remote Plus. Like Nyko's Wand+, the Wii Remote Plus offers MotionPlus sensitivity without any added bulk, and automatically registers as having a MotionPlus connected when the game needs it. It's simple and seamless.
Unfortunately, the Wii Remote Plus doesn't bring anything new to the table other than the cosmetic convenience. It's just a Wii Remote and a MotionPlus accessory built into the same shell. It's more convenient than using a bare remote and an accessory, but it doesn't further improve on the gaming experience. You're still playing the exact same games you were playing with a Wii MotionPlus block attached to the end of your remote. If you need a new Wii remote, you have no reason not to get the Wii Remote Plus. If you already have enough remotes (and have a Wii MotionPlus accessory), there's no real need to buy this one.
More Gaming Controller & Accessory reviews:
• ThinkGeek Joystick-It Tablet Arcade Stick
• PDP Mount for Kinect
• Nintendo Wii Remote Plus
• Sony PlayStation Move Shooting Attachment
• Sony PlayStation Move
• more
The Wii remote uses only an accelerometer to detect motion. Other functions, like using the remote as a pointer, rely on an infrared sensor that tracks the position of a "sensor bar" placed above or below the TV. Those two sensors are the only way the Wii remote can track movement. Meanwhile, the PlayStation Move uses an accelerometer, a gyroscope, a magnet sensor, and the PlayStation Eye camera to track movement much more accurately. Similarly, the Kinect for Xbox 360 uses a depth-sensing camera that maps out the position of your body and tracks it visually, in three-dimensional space.
Last year, Nintendo sought to improve the Wii's controls with the Wii MotionPlus, an accessory for the remote that used a more precise and sensitive gyroscope to supplement the remote's accelerometer. It indeed helped the Wii, and made games like Wii Sports Resort and Red Steel 2, which require greater accuracy for activities like swordfighting, far more usable. Useful as it was, Wii MotionPlus remained a clunky block you had to connect to the remote, and an extra expense. Nyko, a Wii accessories manufacturer, incorporated MotionPlus technology into its $39.99 Wand+ controller, but Nintendo itself has kept the two devices separate—until the Wii Remote Plus.
The Wii Remote Plus builds the MotionPlus sensors directly into the body of the remote. Besides the small text "Wii MotionPlus INSIDE" just under the Wii logo and connection lights, though, the remote is identical to the original Wii Remote. It measures the same 1.3 by 1.5 by 5.8 inches (HWD) and weighs the same 3 ounces as the original remote. The layout is identical to the original Wii Remote; the top face of the remote holds the A, 1, 2, plus, minus, and home buttons and direction pad, while the underside holds the B trigger and the battery door. The only difference is the addition of the new, more accurate sensors.
Unless your game requires or is enhanced by MotionPlus (which isn't a high percentage), the Wii Remote Plus even plays identical to a plain Wii remote. The MotionPlus-enabled games really do offer a whole different level of control when using the Wii Remote Plus. Like Nyko's Wand+, the Wii Remote Plus offers MotionPlus sensitivity without any added bulk, and automatically registers as having a MotionPlus connected when the game needs it. It's simple and seamless.
Unfortunately, the Wii Remote Plus doesn't bring anything new to the table other than the cosmetic convenience. It's just a Wii Remote and a MotionPlus accessory built into the same shell. It's more convenient than using a bare remote and an accessory, but it doesn't further improve on the gaming experience. You're still playing the exact same games you were playing with a Wii MotionPlus block attached to the end of your remote. If you need a new Wii remote, you have no reason not to get the Wii Remote Plus. If you already have enough remotes (and have a Wii MotionPlus accessory), there's no real need to buy this one.
More Gaming Controller & Accessory reviews:
• ThinkGeek Joystick-It Tablet Arcade Stick
• PDP Mount for Kinect
• Nintendo Wii Remote Plus
• Sony PlayStation Move Shooting Attachment
• Sony PlayStation Move
• more
